


It Gets Better

by Justcannibalthings



Series: Charlie x Louis [7]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angry make up sex, M/M, Nostalgia, Possessiveness, Power Couple, Reminiscing, Rough Sex, Smoking, Therapy, chloe is a gem, mentions of infedility, post cheating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 22:25:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14628303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justcannibalthings/pseuds/Justcannibalthings
Summary: Charlie and Louis continue to heal.





	It Gets Better

“I swear to God, the more we go, the stupider those sessions get.” Louis was lighting a cigarette as they walked down the hall, jacket balanced on his shoulders. “And yet we continue to go.” Charlie retorted, shoving his own hands in his jacket pockets. “I know. It’s almost as if we want a functional relationship.” Louis smirked at Charlie, unlocking the car and dropping himself onto the drivers seat; he had opted to drive today, which meant Charlie couldn’t complain if he smoked in the car. “I don’t feel like it’s particularly helping.” Charlie confessed, buckling himself in. “I don’t either, but I don’t know what else you want to do.” Louis wound his window down, before starting the car. It was a peculiar kind of limbo they resided in; nothing was changing really, not that they noticed. It wasn’t getting any worse though, and the alternative was giving up and calling it quits. Louis couldn’t even bring himself to say the word divorce, let alone go through with it. If Charlie was trying, then he wouldn’t leave. They’d made a deal. Charlie rested his head on the seat, letting out a short sigh. Despite the window being open, he could still smell cigarette smoke. He found he missed the smell when he drove alone. “I love you.” Charlie turned his head loosely, still resting it on the back of the seat. Louis gave him a confused smile, putting his eyes back on the road as he let one hand hang out the window, flicking ash from the cigarette “Well then maybe it is working.” Charlie rolled his eyes, “I try and be nice and you just throw it back at me. Typical Jew, always wanting more.” His tone was light as he spoke. “Oh, piss off.” Louis smirked at the road in amusement “Strong words from someone without all of their dick.” Charlie quipped. Louis let out a dramatic sigh “it’s always a dick joke.”

Once back at work, the two of them separated to go about their own business- you’d think they’d spend more time together, working in the same place, but they didn’t. It was one of the reasons they still shared an office. Chloe, as usual, was waiting for Louis with a mug of coffee. If he was straight… “Hi sir, you have a meeting in ten minutes with the O’harrens. They have a new girl in charge on their end.” Chloe handed him the folder, and his coffee and continued to speak “After that, there's an issue with the Hansson’s team. Apparently, Dara- he's the short one with the bowties, well he threw out everyone’s lunches and now the team is refusing to work and, well, I think you have a little more tact than Mr. Ross.” Louis snorted at the complete accuracy of her statement, and she sighed a little in relief that he didn’t take offense “I can’t argue with that. I’ll deal with it after the meeting. Anything else?” Chloe shook her head “No sir. Good luck in your meeting” Louis gave a loose nod, sipping the always perfect coffee and slowing his pace as he reached his destination “Thanks, Chloe. You’re an angel as always.” Chloe gave him a warm smile “You’re welcome sir.” 

Charlie laughed along with his clients, slouched over the table with a mug in his hands, lowering his frame to their level, and easing back on his enunciation. “Look, all I'm sayin’ is you guys, you have a certain clientele, and I don’t think you’d benefit targeting ads to everyone. It’s a big mistake people make. Women do not buy their own perfume. Their boyfriends do, their friends do. You want a recycled ad that every other perfume has, go with someone else. You wanna sell your shit, sign the contract. We have a unique designing process here, and you’re paying for the best. It’s just good business sense. Besides, you can be there when we film the ads and ogle all the women.” The man sat across from him nodded his head, an easy smile on his face, and looked to his business partner. They shared a look, and Charlie slid the contract over to him, pen atop it. “Alright, Ross. You got yourself a deal.” He lifted the pen, scrawling his signature on it. Charlie lent back in his chair, giving them a confident smile “You won’t regret it.” 

Louis was sitting on his desk, he had just had to pull Dara from his group- the annoying vegan was currently in HR, being told why it wasn’t appropriate to throw peoples lunches away because you personally don’t like ham. Louis had shared his sentiments, but that was beside the point. He didn’t stop Charlie eating those disgusting looking ribs. The office door opened, and Charlie strutted in, holding the contract over his head. “Got the chauvinistic fuckers.” He spoke, and Louis chortled, rolling his eyes. “Well done. It’s almost like this is your job.” He retorted, and Charlie put the contract down on his desk as he spoke “For more than their original price, might I add.” Louis raised his brow “Alright, that’s quite impressive I’ll give you that.” Charlie smirked at him, and leant on his own desk, looking at his partner. “Thanks. If only life was as straight forward as taking money from perverts.” Charlie said, looking at Louis; underlying meaning clear. “Yeah…It’s…” Louis let out half a laugh, running his hand over his face “We’ll get there.” Charlie lifted himself slightly, hopping up to sit on the desk whilst Louis continued to think aloud “Do you remember our first contract?” Charlie nodded, slouching into his most comfortable seating position now it was just two of them, and letting his voice rest in its default ‘steal-your-mothers-purse’ common criminal twang. Louis had to give him credit, because he was very good at turning it off around clients. “Course I do. It was a fucking miracle that we got it done. I don’t think I could go back to that. I’ve grown very accustomed to sleep.” Louis chuckled at his response “I actually sort of miss the long hours.” Louis stated, as if just realising it himself “I think that’s where, this, started to go wrong.” He gestured loosely between the two of them, and Charlie paused for a moment, before giving a defeated nod “I think you’re right.” Louis looked down at his hands; he wanted a cigarette. It seemed every time he spoke to Charlie he wanted a cigarette. But then, he supposed every time he spoke to anyone he wanted a cigarette so maybe he was thinking too deeply. “I remember signing the lease for that shitty basement office. I remember it so vividly. And I remember when we went through that weird exhibitionist phase where we kept banging against the windows.” Louis nodded to his side, at the floor-to-ceiling windows that filled the wall “I wonder if anyone actually saw us.” Charlie commented, reminiscing the similar, much more functional times. He was beginning to think they’d actually always been dysfunctional and that they only now had enough downtime to notice it. They couldn’t hide behind work anymore. “is it bad that I hope so?” Louis queried; looking to the window. “I do too.” Charlie replied- maybe some bored receptionist somewhere still saw them as an infatuated power couple, instead of whatever the reality was. They let silence sit in the room for a while; their councillor had told them to focus more on the minor parts of their relationship, feel more like you’re in a relationship, so you can repair it. Those were her words. She’d given them quite a lot of tasks actually; be more intimate, talk to each other, figure out when the last time you felt contented was. Louis had never felt contented- he had worked incredibly hard for everything he had, he had earnt his right to be greedy in his opinion. They did talk more though; Charlie was opening up despite the clear discomfort he felt doing so, and Louis appreciated the effort. 

The two of them had driven home in the same car; they had started doing it at the suggestion of their councillor; Charlie had altered his working hours and despite his reluctance, had started allowing Andrew to take Amelia to school. He still insisted on doing her homework with her though. He was determined to ensure his daughter did not see Andrew as more of a parent than her actual parents. Adoptive or otherwise. Louis shared his sentiments, and always read her to sleep- even if it was over skype. Amelia loved them both of course; she was in fact being carried to bed by Louis after falling asleep on the sofa. He was beginning to think she was doing too much for a 9-year-old. Louis rested her in her bed, and pulled the blanket over her- kneeling down to give her a kiss on the forehead and tucking the blanket around her. He flicked her nightlight on, and let himself out of the room, closing the door quietly behind himself. He always worried that she would choke herself with the necklace he had given her; since she refused to take it off. It was pretty hypocritical of course, since he himself didn’t take it off the entire time it had been in his ownership. He walked into his own bedroom, and lay down on the bed- he could hear the shower running. Louis took his phone out of his pyjama bottoms; thankful as ever that everything he owned had pockets, and checking his emails for the 50th time. Charlie exited the shower- completely naked with a towel in his hands, ruffling his hair with it. “Been a while since I’ve had this view.” Louis stated, glancing up from his phone with an amused smirk. Charlie threw the towel in the general direction of the wash basket, opening a drawer to pull bottoms out “Been even longer since you’ve touched it.” Charlie retorted, a little more bitter than he intended. He gave a laugh at the end to try and relax his tone a little more. “I think we’re both a little to blame for that. I can’t put that one all on you.” Louis replied- forcing himself to ignore the bitterness- he knew Charlie was trying and he was trying to stop himself from making everything worse. Charlie had always been an asshole, and he’d made mistakes, but he was trying and Louis couldn’t keep bringing it up or blaming him forever if he wanted to fix anything. “I’m tryin’. It’s hard to ‘be more intimate’” he made air quotes over his words, pitching his voice up to signal they weren’t his own words “When you push me away.” Charlie finished, sitting himself on the bed and half lying down, his head turned loosely to Louis. “Welcome to my world.” Louis stated, putting his phone on charge and putting it down on the bedside table. Charlie furrowed his brow- realisation dawning on him “This is what I’ve been doing to you isn’t it?” Louis nodded in response “Not a great feeling huh?” Charlie looked down at his hands- brow still furrowed. “No…I’m surprised you don’t fuckin’ hate me.” Louis laughed at Charlies comment, before letting his tone fall into a more serious one “I think I did for a while. I think part of me still does.” Louis looked at Charlie “Sometimes you bring out the worst part of me. Part of me wants to punch you in the throat, and part of me wants to pin you against a wall and just…” Louis brought his hands up, making a vague squeezing gesture. Charlie gestured to his face “This is my money maker, you ain’t goin’ near it. I’d let you do the latter though.” Louis looked at his partner for a minute, before leaning towards him and resting a hand on the side of his chin; the two lent towards each other, and closed the gap- connecting their lips. Louis was still angry about his kissing someone else- but in a different way to how he had been previously. It wasn’t cold, or apathetic anymore. It was hot and volatile. Louis deepened the kiss with slightly more vigour that he really intended on, and pushed Charlie down so he was lying flat. Charlie didn’t put up any fight- but he was surprised by the sudden change in the mood- he felt like they had been drifting for so long, in a peculiar kind of limbo but now it felt like they were moving. Louis shifted to straddle his partner, pulling open the top drawer and rifling through it, before closing it slightly harder than necessary and doing the same to the second one- eventually removing what he was looking for before shuffling down and pulling his partners bottoms off- Charlie let himself arch slightly to assist him. Louis shook the bottle, before squeezing some of the lube onto his fingers, and pressing them into Charlie- who’s jaw slacked; no longer used to the feeling. Louis gave him a moment to adjust, before moving his fingers; scissoring them to stretch his partner out- although he would be lying if he said part of him didn’t enjoy hurting Charlie a little. Charlie let out a noise that was not dissimilar to a growl, and shuffled in his spot- it really had been a long time. Even longer since he’d bottomed. Louis removed his fingers, and sat back on his legs, looking down at his partner. “Turn around.” He spoke- tugging at Charlies leg until he did just that. “aren’t I supposed to be the gobby rough one?” Charlie enquired, shuffling so some of his weight was on his legs- back arched. “Not today.” Louis replied, resting a hand on Charlies rear and giving it a squeeze- the tip of his nails digging into the soft flesh- before pressing his length into his partner with a hum. Charlie buried his head into the pillow- letting out a long groan at the sensation of being far more full than he was now used to. Louis gave him a moment to adjust, before picking up a rhythm, holding his partners hip with one hand, and resting the other on his shoulder- Charlie groaned into his pillow and Louis let himself pick up a brisk pace. Louis slouched himself over his partner and Charlie slid his hand to his own crotch, jerking himself in tandem with Louis’ thrusts; which were fast and aggressive. Louis kept himself slouched, and growled down his ear- Charlie let out a long string of vulgarity- keeping his head in the pillow to stop himself from waking up their daughter. This was not something she needed to see. The lack of…activity, meant neither of them were ever going to last very long, and Charlie spilled into his hand; his muscles tensing as he did so, jaw slacked. Louis continued his thrusts- spilling into his partner shortly after. Louis pulled out of his partner, slapping his arse before letting himself lie down on the bed; more out of breath than he felt he should have been. Charlie turned himself onto his back, putting a hand on his own chest “I need to work out more.” he breathed out, panting heavily. Louis nodded loosely “I’m increasing my gym hours…” He turned his head to Charlie, breath still uneven “You belong to me, Charlie. I worked my fucking ass off to get you to agree to date me. It hurts that it was just easy for someone else.” Louis held Charlies face, gripping his chin “This is mine. All of it.” Charlie gave him a small nod, and Louis took his hand away. Louis shuffled a little down the bed, putting his head on Charlies chest and listening to his quickened heartbeat. “and if you think about complaining that your arse hurts tomorrow, just think about how much pain you’ve caused me.” Charlie tilted his head down at Louis’ words “I love you too asshole.” Louis closed his eyes at Charlies words “I know. You don’t deserve me.”


End file.
